Last Christmas
by Wandering Letters
Summary: Based on the song "Last Christmas". Hope gets confused about his feelings but one special Christmas with the Farron family will change everything for him. Rated M for sexual content. HopexVanille at first but inevitably HopexLightning.
1. Last Christmas

Last Christmas- Hope And Lightning

**Author's Note: Hello fanfic readers! I know it's been a long time since I've actually posted something up here but college and the evil writer's block has kept my fingers away from the keyboard for a while. I know this one is a bit late but I finally got it done and here it is! I got inspired after hearing the song "Last Christmas" by Darren Hayes from Savage Garden. I'll try to update the rest of my fics in due time but for now, let's get this one on the road! Happy reading!**

"Hey sis! Open your present already!"

"Shut up Snow, can't you see I'm opening it?"

Snow chuckled in unison with Serah. Lightning ripped the wrapping paper to find two boxes on top of one another. She looked at Snow and saw his goofy smile before she opened the first box. It was a picture of her, Serah and Snow in a medium sized picture frame. In it was also a pendant laying on what looked to be a light blue dress. She lifted the dress and examined it. It was rather form fitting, almost as if they had guessed the size that would perfectly fit her. She smiled slightly.

"That's from me sis,"

"Thanks,"

He smiled before she opened the second box, revealing some clothes with a book on the inside. The book was about the history of The Guardian Corps.

"That's from me Claire,"

Lightning hugged Serah, triggering a sad expression from Snow.

"Aww how come she gets a hug?"

"Thank you Serah and because she's my sister,"

Snow opened his mouth to talk but one of her death glares silenced him.

"So when are the others coming?" asked Serah.

"Anytime now, I can't believe its been three years since we last saw them," said Snow.

Three years passed by quickly since the Cocoon Crisis. The rest of the group went their separate ways. One year ago, Fang and Vanille came out of crystalstasis and moved back to Oerba. Hope decided to finish high school and was now in college at the age of 19. Sazh was the only person who kept in touch with them, informing them of everyone else. Lightning wasn't particularly excited in seeing any of them but figured it would be great to speak to everyone again after all this time. Soon, there was a knock on the door. Serah opened the door only to get almost tackled by Vanille.

"Serah! Oh my gosh its so good to see you again!"

Serah hugged Vanille and Fang followed her in, smiling.

"Long time no see Princess," said Fang to Lightning.

"You too," she replied simply.

Fang hugged Serah before shaking Snows hand. Vanille ran to Lightning and gave her a bone crushing hug. Lightning wrapped a single arm around her as her own way of showing her affection.

"Is everyone else coming?"

"Yeah, they'll be here soon, Hope's coming too Vanille,"

Vanille smiled but Serah noticed her facial expression change when she turned away, almost as if she were regretting something major. Fang put down the bag of presents she brought with her before sitting down with Vanille A second knock was heard and Lightning answered the door.

"Long time no see soldier,"

Sazh shook Lightning's hand and Vanille nearly tackled him as well. He was quite happy to see her when he hugged her back. Dajh moved from behind Sazh and it was Vanille's turn to stay balanced.

"He still remembers you I see, let's not forget our little friend here,"

As if on cue, Chocobo flew from behind him. He grew bigger over the three years and was almost three times his previous size. They noticed that instead of his hair, he rested on Sazh's shoulder. He walked in and took his seat on the couch after putting down the presents he brought with him, noticing Fang sitting across from him.

"Well now, how've you been?"

"Been better I guess, can't tell you how much of a walk it was from Pulse to Taejin to hitch the shuttle over here,"

Sazh chuckled.

"At least we're all here right?"

"Everyone except the kid,"

Vanille again looked away before Serah spoke.

"Vanille, can you come with me for a second? I need some help in the kitchen,"

Vanille put on a smile and followed her into the kitchen.

"What do you need help with Serah?"

"Can you pull out the ham out of the oven? I left it to warm and I think we're going to start soon,"

Vanille took a mit and did as she asked.

"It smells so good!"

"Claire made it,"

Vanille had forgotten that was Lightning's real name and she smiled. Serah took out a large pot of rice, a large casserole dish with homemade mac and cheese and a plate containing a large cut of roast beef. All of them were hot and the aroma began to circulate through the room. Serah then looked at Vanille.

"Did something happen between you and Hope?"

Vanille froze and her face became sad.

"Tell me Vanille,"

Serah pulled the now sobbing girl to the counter island stools and sat with her. She didn't let go of her hands.

"Hope and I met last Christmas, I went to visit him and he was so nice to me,"

Serah nodded in comprehension.

"He talked to me about everything but he was also very confused and he said something..."

"What did he say?"

"He said he loved me..."

Serah's eyes widened.

"How is that a bad thing?"

"Its bad because he doesn't love me, he loves your sister,"

"Then why would he tell you-"

"Because he doesn't think she will accept him, he's so much younger than her and because of the way she treated him before; he doesn't think that she'll see him as anything more than a little brother,"

Serah smiled.

"So he told you he loved you because he wanted to be loved?"

"No he said that he really did like me during the time we spent together, I don't think he would lie about really liking me but I know for a fact that what he feels for your sister is way more than he could ever feel for me,"

Serah nodded.

"Does Lightning even remember him?"

"She speaks to him frequently, she checks up on him,"

"Any signs?"

"Reading my sister isn't easy...you know that but...I think she just might, I'm not too sure,"

Vanille sighed.

"I just don't want him to get hurt, he's like a brother to me,"

"I know..I know..."

Vanille hugged Serah before the doorbell went off. Serah shouted for Snow and he went to answer the door with her. She couldn't believe what she saw. Hope was now a full head taller than her sister. He was still as slim as ever but she could see he was working out a little. His hair remained the same except longer and he wore a black dress pants with a white long sleeve button up. He looked quite handsome and even Serah had to admit that it would be hard for her sister to ignore him. She quickly filled in Snow before she turned to him.

"Hi Serah, long time no see,"

"Hi Hope!"

She gave him a hug and he smiled before he returned it. Snow gave him a noogie.

"Its been a while buddy, how've you been?"

"Good so far, sorry I'm late, I had to stop home for this,"

He held up a bag of presents in one hand but also raised his other which has a bottle of wine.

"Thought I could contribute to the dinner,"

"That's so sweet Hope,"

Serah took the bottle and the bag from him before nudging Snow. She walked away and Snow spoke.

"Got a minute? I wanna talk to you about something,"

"Sure,"

Snow led him into the guest bedroom before he locked the door.

"How's college life been?"

"Pretty good, I'm working on a degree in forensics,"

"Acing all your classes and stuff?"

He nodded with a smile.

"Good stuff, how're the ladies treatin ya?"

Hope was about to say something but immediately turned quiet. Snow raised an eyebrow.

"You kidding me? Good kid like you doesn't have one girl all over you?"

"They're not my type and they're kid of...special,"

"How so?"

"They get passed around like a bottle of wine if you catch my drift,"

Snow chuckled.

"So what're you lookin for?"

"Hmm?"

"Come on Hope, you know what I mean,"

"Well...I don't really pay attention to the looks so much, I mean yeah they gotta be attractive...but I like personality more than anything,"

_"Well, at least I know he doesn't like sis for just her looks,"_

"Its pretty much what the average guy looks for,"

"Really?"

Snow sat down beside him.

"So I guess my sister falls under that category?"

Hope immediately looked shocked.

"How did you-"

"Face it buddy, it's plain and obvious, I saw the way you looked at her before," he lied.

Snow had to admit that if Serah didn't fill him in, he would never have guessed that Hope liked Lightning this much.

"It's crazy isn't it..."

Hope had a very discouraged look on his face. Snow playfully smacked him on the back.

"Hey, the worst she can do is tell you no, besides, she's way nicer than she looks you know and judging from the number of times she's called you, she definitely doesn't _dislike_ you,"

"What're you saying?"

"I'm saying that you probably have the best shot at it above every other man alive right now,"

He nodded slowly.

"Alright enough depressing talk, you came here to have a great time with everybody and eat some of Serah and sis's awesome home cookin' let's get this party started!"

Hope couldn't help but smile at Snow's ability to cheer him up and they walked outside. Sazh greeted Hope in a similar fashion. Hope reluctantly looked at Lightning, who to his surprise walked up to him.

"You've gotten so tall,"

"Y-Y-Yeah I guess..."

Everyone except Serah was surprised when Lightning gave Hope an affectionate hug. Hope's face turned as red as the Christmas stocking hanging over the fireplace. He very slowly but surely returned the gesture and he could see Fang and Sazh teasing him with quiet wolf whistles and cheering. Lightning let him go.

"Dinner time?"

Snow shouted for joy before Serah elbowed him in the stomach. Hope silently walked and sat down at the table. His face was hidden behind the veil of silver hair. Snow knew how he must've felt after getting hugged by Lightning like that.

Dinner went by quickly. Everyone caught up with each other. Lightning decided to quit the Guardian Corps last month in order to help support Serah. She instead got a job at a pharmacy nearby the house. She made more than her last job and she had the added luxury of not being on call all the time. Hope went to college to study engineering and was in his sophomore year. Sazh retired from his work in order to better raise Dajh and began seeing a woman named Gillian, who Dajh introduced as his English teacher. Fang and Vanille moved back in Oerba and were living together. Fang decided to work at the Pulse Wildlife Preservation Effort and contributed well towards research. Vanille stayed at home, taking care of the house. Snow continued his work with NORA and Serah worked as a nurse. Dinner soon ended and they went into the living room to open presents.

Sazh got the entire family an air filter. He also Fang and Vanille two velocycles.

"What? Sazh this must've cost you a fortune!"

"Nope, I got these from my workplace, I have my own so you two could put it to better use than me, merry christmas you two,"

Fang and Vanille both hugged him, especially Vanille because she was so close to him. Hope opened his to find a pair of running shoes.

"Figured you'd be athletic kid so merry christmas,"

Ironically, Hope needed a pair.

"Thanks Sazh,"

Fang and Vanille made clothes for everyone. Lightning got a sweater which she immediately put on; she hated cold weather and Christmas in Bodhum was pretty as cold as it comes. Hope's eyes widened. The sweater collar was too big for her and it revealed more of her collarbone and nearly fell over her shoulder. No one seemed to notice this detail except him. He put on the coat that Vanille knitted herself for him and she gave him a warm hug. The coat looked to be like a trench coat except it felt soft to the touch and was as thick as a fur coat.

"Thanks Vanille,"

"You're welcome! Merry Christmas!"

Snow put on the cap that Fang made for him.

"Fits like a charm, thanks a million,"

"No problem, merry christmas you big oaf,"

Fang smiled and hugged him when he had a pout on his face. Serah put her sweater away, deciding to wear it another time. Hope's bag was next and Serah noticed the nervous stare he gave Lightning. She read the gaze and whispered something to her. Lightning took the small present he gave her and put it in her pocket. Everyone else got books from him as he couldn't think of much else.

"Thanks kid, how'd you know I was into wildlife?"

"Lucky guess Fang, merry christmas,"

Fang nuzzled his hair and Vanille again hugged him for the book on cooking he got her. He remembered that she liked cooking from the last time she met him. Snow cleared his throat.

"Sazh. I need you outside for a minute,"

"Alright,"

Snow and Sazh walked outside and Dajh stayed. Serah called Fang and Vanille away into the kitchen to start cleaning up. Lightning tried to go in too but Serah gave her a glare and she sighed. Hope could've almost sworn he saw a blush on her face. She picked up Hope's present from the tree and sat beside him on the couch. She then pulled out his gift to her.

"Open them at the same time?"

Hope nervously nodded. Lightning finished hers first and turned her face away when she saw the small bundle. A small book rested in the box and on top of it was a heart shaped pendant. She could tell that it was no ordinary pendant due to the ridiculously bright sheen it had in the light. With it was also an envelope with a red ribbon wrapped around it. She looked at Hope and saw his red face.

"I made that pendant...in class,"

She took it out and handed it to him.

"Put it on," she asked.

She turned her back and he swallowed hard. She was blushing just as hard as he was. He fastened the delicate wire around her neck and she raised her hair over it. She then turned to him, still with a blush on her face. She slowly inched forward and kissed Hope's cheek.

"Thank you...its beautiful,"

Hope's senses went haywire and he was sure his heart was going to break his ribs. He then opened the present she gave him to find a scarf. He took it out and saw an envelope with a small piece of paper attached to it. He took off the paper and opened the envelope after Lightning snatched the paper from him.

"Read the card first,"

He did as she asked.

_You have much more of an impact on my life as you think you do. You're always there for me and it's time for me to return the favor. Have a merry christmas and a happy new year!_

_Light._

He then asked her to open hers.

_You're very important to me. You taught me how to survive in this hard world and you were even there beyond the call of duty. I appreciate everything you've done and this is a little something to show how much you mean to me. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!_

_Hope_

She then put the paper in front of his lowered face on the wrong side. He didn't raise his head and flipped it.

_"Look up and you'll get your final present,"_

As he did, her lips met his. She was blushing madly. He knew it must've taken her a while to prepare herself for this because she never was that good with emotions. He pictured Serah must've helped her. He returned the kiss, pulling her close to him and wrapping his arms around her waist. Soon, she stopped kissing him.

"Does this mean-"

Lightning pressed a finger to his lips.

"Last christmas, you told Vanille you liked her right?"

Hope sighed.

"I'm not mad, but the very next day she gave it away, and this year, you're giving it to?"

"Do you really want me to answer that?"

Lightning smiled at him.

"Someone special..."

He pulled her in again and she returned it with a few tears coming down her face. She never imagined he would wait for her for so long and even love her more than someone else who was willing to be with him, someone who was far more likely to say yes than her. He still loved her and she cursed herself for being so close-minded to the possibility that they could very well be. She only saw him as a little brother or son before but now, she casted her doubts aside and accepted what has always been theree: Hope's love.

"WOO! YOU GO KID!"

Snow cheered from outside the soundproof window as he saw Hope kissing her.

"I never would've thought Light would take him,"

"Why? Cause he's a kid?"

"Yeah,"

"He's not a kid anymore old man, he's grown up and I'm pretty sure sis is gonna stay with him no matter what,"

"You sure?"

"Sazh, NO man has ever gotten this close to her, Hope's the only guy on the face of this Earth who she's ever even thought of that way,"

Sazh smiled and looked at the new couple.

_"Looks like his Christmas is gonna be merry,"_

Fang peered around the corner to see what was going on. Luckily for her, both their eyes were closed. She smiled and the other two looked as well. Serah was especially happy; she finally saw her sister find the happiness she was lacking for all these years in which "the right guy hasn't come around yet".

Eventually, everyone returned inside. Neither of the couple knew that they were seen in action and comically tried to hide their newfound relationship.

"So Hope, where are you staying? You're going back to Palompolum?" asked Serah.

Hope's eyes widened and he slapped his forehead hard.

"I completely forgot to make reservations at the hotel!"

An evil yet brilliant idea struck Serah's brain. She knew that the guest bedroom was wide open but after what happened between the two, there's no way Lightning would let him sleep alone.

"We have a guest bedroom, you could stay here if you want,"

Lightning's face turned red and she turned away. Hope luckily didn't notice.

"I'm sorry I didn't mean to intrude, I just-"

"Its ok _bro_ it's no problem at all," said Snow immediately catching onto Serah's plan.

It was Hope's turn to blush. He was in for it now!


	2. Extended Cut

Last Christmas- Hope and Lightning

**Author's Note: Hello fanfic readers! After thinking about it for a little while, I decided to finally do an alternate ending for this story. I was asked by a good friend to try my hand at a lemon with this pairing and after thinking long and hard about it, I decided to give it a try but after reading the first chapter, I decided it was a bit fast for them to immediately get all over each other so I wrote this to give a bit of filler. Just for all those who aren't into lemons, I did this "extended cut" to give a little more Hope and Lightning fluff that everyone can look at before I do the actual alternate ending, which will pick up from where this chapter left off. The lemon may or may not be up soon after. Seeing as the rest of the story was already done, I'll just pick up right where the first chapter left off. As I said before, this chapter is for everyone. I'll have to change the rating as well but the first two chapters are perfectly fine for everyone to indulge in. Happy reading!**

Hope had already taken his bag inside of the house and moved into the guest bedroom. He was prepared to stay in Bodhum for two weeks seeing as his school didn't start back until then. He planned to stay at the hotel his father recommended for him to stay but his excitement to see everyone again caused him to forget completely about the reservations for it. Now, Serah almost insisted that he stayed with them. Snow also decided to bring out sleeping bags for everyone else to stay. Sazh was the only one who had to leave due to the fact that he needed to take Dajh home; he was still quite young after all. After emerging from the shower, Hope changed and lay down on the bed that was given to him. Serah poked her head inside the room.

"Everything ok?"  
"Yeah, everything's fine,"

He smiled at her; her motherly instincts showed themselves even now. He was surprised that she and Snow didn't have a child already. She would definitely end up being a good mother.

"So tell me…"

She stepped inside and sat beside him.

"What happened between you and Claire?"

Hope blushed intensely.

"D-D-Did you help her?"

She was surprised that he was able to tell that she helped Lightning break out of her shell.

"She really wanted to let you know how she felt…did she do anything rash?"  
"She wrote me a card and bought me a scarf…"  
"What else did she do?"

He swallowed hard.

"She…She kissed me,"

His face couldn't turn a shade darker red. Serah smiled at him.

"Yes she really did make you that card and I saw her buy the scarf on her way home from work but I didn't expect her to kiss you just like that,"  
"Yeah…I didn't expect it either,"  
"But you enjoyed it right?"

He took a breath.

"Every second of it…"

She giggled.

"Well, you're the only one who she's ever done that to,"  
"You mean I gave her first kiss?"  
"Yep,"

He looked away again; he never once thought that a woman as beautiful as Lightning had just now received her very first kiss at the age of 24 by him of all people, a 19 year old college student.

"You sure you're okay here alone? I mean we're all upstairs,"  
"Yeah I'll be okay thanks for everything Serah,"

She got up and gave him a hug before she turned to leave.

"Don't let my sister stop being happy,"

He looked into her eyes and gave her the most sincere look he possibly could. She was thoroughly convinced that the idea wouldn't even ghost his mind. She smiled again and mouthed "thank you" before she walked away. It wasn't more than a half hour before he walked upstairs and approached Lightning's door. He mustered his courage and knocked on the door softly.

"Come in,"

He opened the door to see her writing inside of the small diary he got her for Christmas. She looked up and saw him and put the book away. He could barely keep his cool when he saw how she was dressed. A form fitting pink nightgown and her hair was completely let out instead of it leaning more towards a single side. She began to blush heavily when she noticed Hope looking at her.

"Hope…you're staring,"

He quickly snapped out of his trance and sat down beside her, trying his best not to let her feel uncomfortable. His hair blocked his face.

"Am I making you uncomfortable?"

She looked at him and saw he was serious about his question. She knew why he asked that question and she knew what he was willing to do if she answered no. She gave him a gentle look and smiled slightly. Her hand held his and he turned to her, slightly nervous.

"No you're not,"

He took a deep breath and shut his eyes tightly in an attempt to calm himself but he just couldn't help it; the woman of his dreams sat in front of him with some of the most enticing dress ups he'd ever seen. She looked almost _**too **_good.

"What made you have those feelings for me?"

He turned a little startled at her sudden question. Her face wasn't happy anymore, it instead looked serious but he knew she was doing that only to get the truth from him.

"I take it that someone filled you in on what happened last year?"  
"Yes, I just want to know Hope because you do realize that she refused you for me to be happy right?"

His eyes opened wide. He would never have suspected that Vanille knew about his feelings for Lightning in such detail. He took another breath.

"I'll admit, when we were on Pulse, I found myself looking at Vanille in a different way…but it wasn't that strong, I spent a lot more time with you after all even though you were a bit…cold,"

Lightning smiled at him.

"Tough love,"  
"I know, anyways, I went to college and I found myself…lonely,"

She looked at him.

"But I was calling you so often to see that you were okay,"  
"I know you were but I hid it from you…"

Lightning's eyes softened and he knew that he just hurt her by revealing his two year long lie.

"I didn't want you to worry about me anymore than you already were, anyways, I went to visit the site where Vanille and Fang were crystalised and I found her alive and well so I decided to take them back to my house for the holidays,"

She continued to listen.

"The feelings I had for Vanille were still there and I was thoroughly convinced at the time that things would never happen between you and me because I thought you'd always view me as a little brother or something like that, so I tried to be with her out of confusion and desperation to relieve my loneliness,"

Lightning's eyes softened and she felt her heart jump. How could she be so oblivious to his feelings for all this time? She _had_ to be analytical in her old job and even she couldn't realize this?

"I…didn't mean to do it, but I hated being alone…especially since all of the friends I had practically rubbed the idea of having someone there to care and be there for them, it made me feel even more alone,"

He couldn't say another word before she enveloped her arms around him.

"You don't have to worry about that anymore…"

His hands enveloped her waist and she felt his breath against her neck before his head rested on her shoulder.

"I'm sorry Light…I lost it,"  
"It's fine…"

She leaned off of him and looked at him.

"At least you told the truth now and didn't bottle it up inside any longer,"  
"I still can't believe this is happening…"

She understood his point of view; after everything that's happening, he would definitely have a problem in accepting the fact that she returned his feelings.

"Well…believe it,"

She kissed his cheek and let go of him before she turned over.

"I'm going to sleep, I have work tomorrow,"  
"On Boxing Day?"  
"I'm a pharmacist in a country where we have very limited medical personnel,"  
"Good point…"

He rose to his feet but Lightning held onto his hand.

"Do…you want to sleep in here?"

His heart jumped.

"Are you sure?"

She nodded slowly and he noticed the blush that crept onto her face. He knew that she was pushing her limits due to the feelings that were slowly filling her heart.

"Light, if you're uncomfortable with this, I won't push the issue,"

Her eyes widened.

"_Is he really this much in control of himself?"_

She smiled at him.

"I'm sure,"

He nodded and smiled back at her before he rose to his feet and walked out to get his bag. He returned and changed into his sleepwear before crawling into the bed with her. He didn't dare to touch her; he knew that even though she said yes, it would mean death if he overstepped his boundaries. Despite her feelings for him, he knew she had one _**hell**_ of a defense mechanism that sometimes she just couldn't control due to her old job teaching herto react to any situation and dealing with it accordingly, usually with drastic results. He remembered one instance when he was with her at the mall and an unlucky man happened to bump into her at the wrong time. He lost a few teeth.

"Hope?"

He turned to her to see her looking at him with a soft smile on her face. To an ordinary person, Lightning smiling wouldn't be something remarkable to behold but to him, her smile filled him with happiness because for once, she was genuinely happy on the inside. For once, she wasn't smiling as a façade. He then noticed her shivering. She didn't speak and he instead opened a space beside him and she slowly took the space. He wrapped his arms around her and shared his body heat with her. She sighed softly and snuggled into his arms.

Merry Christmas indeed.


	3. Surprise!

Last Christmas- Hope and Lightning

**Author's Note: Hello again readers! Finally after a lot of thought and trial and error drafts, I've finished the romance scene between Hope and Lightning. At the request of a friend, I've separated the love scene from this in an attempt to…starve you. No I'm just kidding; nearly 3000 words for a single chapter is no longer my style so I'm separating it. Besides, it's a bit of a cliffhanger if you think about it! This chapter is again for everyone to enjoy but the next one I promise is rated M.**

_"Is everything ok?"_  
"Yeah, I'm getting through my classes just fine,"

Hope leaned against his doorframe and held a small cellphone to his ear. He couldn't be feeling any happier.

"_I can't believe you turn twenty tomorrow,"_  
"Neither can I,"

He moved to his bed and lay down.

"_I miss you so much…"_  
"I do too,"

He knew that she was feeling lonely ever since he left after those two weeks with her. Lightning called him every three days to ensure that he was fine while he was gone in school. Three months passed and not a single argument passed between them. They however didn't get to spend much time together due to Lightning's job as a pharmacist and Hope's holiday homework as an engineering major was not something to free up time either.

"_I have a surprise for you tomorrow,"_  
"Really? I wonder what that is,"  
_"You'll see, I know you'll like it,"_

He raised an eyebrow.

"Ok I'll take your word for it,"

He heard her laugh softly in the background.

"Ok I'm going to finish some work I'll talk to you tomorrow,"  
_"Ok,"_  
"I love you,"

He heard her took in a sharp breath of air as if she was shocked to hear him say that.

"_I love you too…"_

It wasn't long before class began and Hope got lost within the work. As smart as he was, the honors classes were beginning to pile up on him and he decided to take a rain check on calling Lightning until the next day. He spent the day working on everything as much as he possibly could. By 4:30 am, he was already asleep on his desk.

"_You're out of your mind if you think_ _we're going to continue,"_

_**Tears welled up in his eyes as she sat down in front of him, a very serious look on her face.**_

"_I know you've been really good to me, but you're just not the kind of man I'm looking to spend my life with,"  
"But why? I've done everything right haven't I?"  
"No, you've been nothing but a little wimp, you're always trying to do everything to please me, have you ever once considered yourself?"_

_**He looked down at the floor. She seemed to be right for the present moment.**_

"_I can't stand someone who doesn't look out for themselves as much as they do others, that's not healthy at all Hope,"_

_**He looked back at her**__._

"_We're through,"_

_**She turned around and walked away.**_

"_What happened to giving my heart to someone special?_

_**She turned around and looked at him. He could see the sadness in her eyes.**_

"_You're not the one…goodbye"_

"**Hope…"**

He began to shuffle.

"**Hope, wake up,"**

His eyes shut tight and his breathing picked up.

"**HOPE!"**

His eyes opened wide and he jolted so suddenly that he fell out of his chair. He looked up to see someone he would never expect in a million years to be there: his father, Bartholomew.

"Dad? What are you doing here?"  
"Checking up on you,"

He got off of the floor and sat down on his bed. Bartholomew looked at the desk and smiled.

"Been working hard I see?"  
"Yeah…"  
"Maybe a bit too hard?"  
"How do you know?"  
"I assume that the entire pile of papers with the due date being the day after tomorrow is what you did all night and judging from the pile size, a normal human being couldn't even begin to imagine doing all of this in a single night,"

He looked and saw that his dad was right; every single assignment that Hope had to do was due the day after tomorrow and he finished them all in a single night.

"What time is it?"  
"12,"

He slapped his forehead.

"I missed both of my classes today…"  
"No you didn't, I had a chat with the professors and told them that I was taking you back to Palumpolum today for a family gathering and they already gave you the leave,"

He looked at his father.

"Why are you taking me back to Palumpolum?"

His father smiled at him.

"I'm not taking you anywhere, instead I'm just here to give you something for your birthday,"  
"What is that? You probably drove about six hours to get here Dad, it better be a good reason to cause me to miss two classes,"  
"Oh? So I'm not a good enough reason?"

The voice sent adrenaline running through his veins. Around the corner came the woman he wanted to see the most, Lightning.

"There's your present son!"  
"You two planned this?"  
"Of course we did, I knew you lived alone and that you only had two classes today and I figured that you would be the "good student" and try to do all of your work in one go and it turns out I was right,"  
"How the heck did you know that?"  
"You're my son Hope, you're a chip off the old block,"

His father winked at him and Hope scratched his head nervously with a smile; even though he was slightly angry that his father appeared completely out of the blue, he brought the one thing Hope would've given just about anything to see: his girlfriend.

"Well, I think my work here is done, you two take care now,"

His father turned to leave.

"You're not taking her back?"  
"I'll come for both of you on Sunday, you forgot that today is Friday?"

Hope slapped his head again. His lack of sleep made him forget his favorite day of the week because it was the day where he got to sleep the most. His father walked outside and gave Hope a brotherly thumbs up. Moments like this made Hope glad to have him as a father. He shut the door and Lightning turned to him before smiling. Hope was still shocked that she was here.

Best birthday ever…period.


	4. Best Birthday Ever Just Got Better

Last Christmas- Hope and Lightning

**Author's Note: Hello again readers! Finally after a lot of thought and trial, writer's blocks and error drafts, I've finished the romance scene between Hope and Lightning. Obviously, this chapter is rated M for sexual content but I promise you, it won't be anything extreme. It is however, what I would call descriptive. I was asked by a friend to make this as descriptive as possible so this is my attempt at it. Anyways, enough talking, here it is! It's got a bit of a twist too ;)**

"Happy birthday,"  
"Thanks…"

She walked up to the bed and joined him.

"Did you miss me?"  
"Yes…I missed you every single day you were gone,"

Her voice sounded slightly cracked. He knew she was so happy that she could barely contain herself but her pride refused to let her show it. He raised a hand and stroked her cheek. Her face became soft. He loved it when she had that look on her face; she looked almost _**too**_ cute. He then looked away.

"What's wrong?"

He didn't answer her and she turned his head back to her.

"Talk to me, you know you can talk to me about anything,"  
"It's…nothing,"  
"Nothing wouldn't have you looking so down…"

He sighed.

"I had a bad dream that's all,"  
"Tell me about it,"

He hesitated and she held his hands with a concerned and loving look on her face.

"Tell me,"  
"Light…am I…**submissive**?"  
"What do you mean?"  
"Do I put you before everything else in my life?"

She raised an eyebrow.

"Did you dream…that I hated that sort of thing?"  
"How'd you-"  
"Trust me, Serah never neglects to tell me that in some of her dreams,"  
"So you do hate it…"  
"Hope you are submissive and you do put me before a lot of things,"

He braced himself.

"I do hate that sort of thing…"

She then smiled and put her hand on his face.

"But I love you far more than I could ever hate that quality,"

His eyes widened.

"Hope, you don't need to worry about anything…"

She moved closer to him and looked him in the eyes, sky blue meeting emerald.

"When I said I love you, I meant every word and I'm not changing my mind,"  
"Light…"  
"You know you can call me by my real name now,"  
"Claire,"

She smiled at me again and pulled me into a warm embrace. I loved her smell and I loved the warmth she always gives me whenever she hugs me. His arms soon wrapped around her waist and she leaned into him, causing him to sink down to the bed where her eyes locked with his. She smiled again. Her breath grazed his nose, smelling like a peppermint she must've chewed before she came. Her face turned to the same intoxicated face that she always had when they had moments like this. She looked as if she was in a trance and her face again flushed. He wondered why this happened to her but he wasn't complaining; she looked _**so **_cute when she did it. She began to close the distance between them and before he knew it, her lips enclosed around his own. He melted at the feeling of her lips on his; he missed that sensation so much during the lonely nights in college where it was almost always work.

She stopped kissing him for a moment to allow him to catch his breath. To her surprise, he leaned up, cradling her in his arms and almost hungrily kissed back. Her legs wrapped around him and her arms tightened around his head as he moved from her lips down to her neck. At that moment, Hope had officially gone where no other man had ever even dared to tread. Snow was the only other person to get so close and that was with a family cheek kiss and even then, she smack him to make sure that he can't do that often. He was surprised that her defense mechanism didn't go off on him. Did she truly love him that much?

"H-H-Hope…"

He had to admit that even though he made her feel weak, he loved the tone of her voice when she said his name like that. It sounded…_**enticing**_. His inner kindness however made him stop his assault on her neck to look up at her.

"I'm sorry…did I go too far?"

She looked at him, almost slightly shocked at his reaction.

"How…do you keep control of yourself like that?"  
"Because I respect you enough to not go any further than you want me to,"

She smiled at him and moved her mouth to his ear.

"_Keep going…"_

His eyes widened and he knew his heart would've pulverized his ribs if The Maker didn't design humans in the way he did. He was now…_**nervous**_. How far did she want him to go? He used the remaining courage he had left to return to her neck and continue his gentle assault. She leaned her head back and arched her back, giving him more access to the exposed skin. He couldn't get sick of her taste and he for _**damn**_ sure felt good hearing her moan his name in her angelic voice. He felt her fingers enclosed around his shirt and instinctively raised his arms to allow her to remove it. She was surprised at the muscles he developed over the years. In all the time they were a couple, she never once saw him like this and she had to admit: Hope _**definitely**_ grew up. She began to kiss his neck and ghost her hands over his exposed torso. The low rumbling sound she barely heard through his throat showed that he was enjoying it. He sank back down to the bed, feeling like he was in euphoria as the contact between her and him assaulted his brain with an overloaded cocktail of hormones and red hot pleasure. He knew that if he had a heart condition, he probably would've died already from the way he was reacting to this. She didn't help ease the load on his brain when she removed her jacket and her turtleneck, revealing a lacy black bra.

"_Holy crap…"_

At that moment, she became the most beautiful thing he had ever seen in this world. She saw his eyes widen like dinner plates and his face practically turn to ketchup. She again smiled at him and blushed.

"You're staring at me again Hope…"  
"I can't help it…you're too beautiful,"

She blushed again before his hands began to explore the newly exposed skin. His mouth soon joined them as he softly kissed a steady line down her stomach and it was her turn to sink into bed when his touch made her practically melt. Her temperature rose, her body turned to mush and her brain was going haywire as Hope continued to explore her body in the way he had always dreamed of. It wasn't long before she pulled the button to her jeans, desperate to relieve herself of the intense heat that Hope ignited inside of her. He looked back down and assisted her, revealing the other half of her underwear. Hope had to admit, not only did she have _**good**_ taste in underwear, black suited her _**really**_ well. There she was, laying on his bed clad in probably the sexiest underwear he had ever laid eyes upon and completely at his mercy judging from how intoxicated her face looked. He soon removed his pants, leaving his blue boxers on. He leaned back against the pillows and she crawled seductively to him, raising her body over his and looking down at him.

"Well now, I didn't know you liked blue,"  
"It's because of your eyes,"

She raised an eyebrow at him and he chuckled.

"I'm kidding,"

She shook her head and laughed softly.

"But seriously…you're so beautiful…I mean wow…"

She smiled.

"I thought you'd like it…"

His hands clung to her waist.

"Li-…Claire, I want to ask you now…"

She raised an eyebrow.

"How far were you thinking of going this time…"  
"What do you mean?"  
"I've never once seen you without a shirt and I for damn sure have never seen you in underwear,"  
"No, there was that time when you walked in on me when I was changing in the bathroom,"  
"I ran out immediately and didn't see anything because I was afraid you'd tear my eyes out,"

She had to admit; Hope knew her well for if it were any other guy, he would've met a horrible end for sure.

"Hope…I thought a lot about it and…"  
"You want us to…"

She nodded slowly, still with the same intoxicated look on her face.

"I'm not ovulating or anything so…I won't get pregnant,"

Hope's mind shattered. He couldn't believe she was saying this. He already found it hard to believe that she was here, he found it even harder to believe that she was in her underwear but the fact that she wanted to consummate their relationship terrified him. She seemed to sense his hesitation and a hand went to his cheek.

"Hope when I said I loved you, that also meant I trust you…I know you find it hard to believe that I'm capable of this but…"

Her voice was gentle but it cracked a little. He knew it must've taken her weeks, if not months to prepare herself for this. He knew she wasn't 100% ok with this, maybe 99.9, but not 100. She still showed her old self even now.

"I can tell that part of you is hesitating too and that's my reason as well,"  
"Hope…it's part of who I am, you know I've spent my life not trusting anyone, it's second nature for me to react in a not trusting way even towards people I hold dear to me…"  
"If you're not comfortable with this, I won't push the issue, I can wait for as long as you want me to,"

He knew he half lied when he said that; she looked **soo** **damn** _**irresistible**_ that it was getting harder for him to maintain control of himself. Her eyes widened for a bit and she took a breath.

"I want this Hope…I've wanted it since the day we got together,"  
"But-"  
"I'll get over this so called "defense mechanism" that you so named hope, I'm not afraid, just a little uneasy…because you do know that you'll be…"  
"Your first?"

She nodded. That again reminded him of the fact that she never let anyone get that close to her and that she had never been with a man before. Hope was the luckiest man on Earth to even be able to so much as give her a hug, let alone hold her in nothing but her underwear so close to him.

"Ok…but you have to promise me one thing,"

She raised an eyebrow and he brought his lips to her ear.

"_If it gets to the point where it's too much for you to bear, tell me,"_

His undying concern for her never ceased to amaze. Before she could say anything he kissed her again and she responded hungrily. One of his hands ran down her thigh and lifted the leg, feeling every inch of exposed skin with a feather like touch. He couldn't get enough of her body and for a split second, his actions were based solely on lust. He knew it was wrong to want her only for her body and his consciousness kicked him in the neck for even so much as thinking that. His lips moved to her neck, gently sucking and nipping the skin but not enough to leave a love mark; she was already embarrassed enough to be with him and throwing a love mark for all to see would probably make her feel socially awkward. She moaned and Hope nearly fainted from the remarkable feeling he got when he heard her angelic voice. He stopped and looked at her face. Her eyes looked back at him as she panted nearly silently.

"_Keep going…"_

He looked to her for permission and she slowly nodded. Slowly but sure, he removed the bra from her body. His heart was probably playing beatdown with the inside of his body and if it was able to fight with fists, it would've beaten his chest wide open. Her endowments weren't as big as he thought they would be but they were nevertheless perfect in size for him. He moved his hands to the curves between her hips and chest and slowly enveloped a nipple with his mouth. The moan she gave off when he did so almost _**scared **_him. Just her moans made him feel this good? Her hands grabbed fistfuls of his hair as he continued to explore the skin, ever so gently.

"Oh…my…"

He moved to the other one and she again moaned softly. One hand began to knead the other breast. She could barely stay conscious from the flood of warm pleasure he was sending through her body. He stopped and she took control by flipping them over. She panted softly.

"How are you so good at this?"  
"No idea…am I…really good at this?"

She narrowed her eyes at him and he smiled.

"No one would think you're a virgin…are you?"  
"Yeah, I've been faithful,"  
"Good, now I have no reason to kill you,"

He laughed again before he ran his hand across her cheek.

"I promise I'll be gentle…"

She paused for a second and leaned down as he moved above her.

"Ok…"

He removed her panties and removed his boxers. He positioned himself above her. She nodded and he entered her slowly. She had felt pain before but nothing compared to this moment. For the split second that she felt him inside her, she really began to wonder why people loved the act so much but after that split second, pleasure beyond her imagination assaulted her body. She moaned in a mix of pain and pleasure. Hope stopped, looking at her with deep concern. She nodded again, panting heavily and he reluctantly continued. He knew she was feeling pain and it hurt him just as much, if not more than it did her. Soon, he no longer heard pain in her moans. She took control and flipped him over, leaning close to him and kissing him as she grinded her hips against him. It was his turn to moan.

"Oh…my god…Claire…" he said as he broke away for some air.

He was immediately silenced by her lips again. Red hot pleasure continued to pulse through every nerve, every vein and every artery in his body. Heat rose threefold inside the both of them and it wasn't long before she picked up speed. He couldn't process the sheer amount of pleasure rushing through him. She soon stopped and arched her back, raising her head skyward and moaning loudly. He tightened his grip before leaning up and holding her in his arms before taking the initiative.

"_Where the hell_ _did he get all this stamina?"_

At that point, she didn't care where; all she could think about was the ever increasing pleasure within her. It wasn't long before he grew tired as well. Hoping to give her as much as he possibly could, he increased his speed to measures he never knew he was capable of. His effort was rewarded with her calling his name again in that voice he loved so much. Just before he knew he would release, he pulled out knowing that he still didn't want to risk impregnating her despite her saying that she wasn't ovulating. Collapsing onto her body, he tried to regain his strength to at least move over on the bed to sleep. He drew the covers over them.

"Isn't it a little early to be going to sleep?"  
"I have no classes for the day so why not?"

She smiled at him and snuggled into his arms.

"You're…really good at this kind of thing,"  
"Thanks…you too,"

She blushed.

"So are you glad I came here?"  
"Are you seriously asking me that question?"  
"Are you seriously going to answer my question?"

He sighed.

"Yes…I couldn't be more actually,"  
"You have me for the whole weekend…"  
"Then I hope you're ready,"

She raised an eyebrow at him.

"We're gonna be going out a lot,"

She laughed, puzzling him.

"What did you think I meant?"  
'Nothing Hope, nothing at all,"

He smiled at her and embraced her.

Best birthday ever just got a **HELL** of a lot better.


	5. A Surprise For Lightning

Chapter 5- A Surprise For Lightning

"Hey! That's not cool!"  
"What? Never saw this coming did you?"

Snow frowned when Hope refused to give him a sample of the brownies he decided to try his hand at making. Everyone but him got one.

"Come on bro! Where's the love?"

Hope snickered as Lightning walked into the room. She took one look at Snow's face and muffled her laughter. She then proceeded to walk up to Hope and take another brownie from him before placing it teasingly into her mouth. Snow poured alligator tears at her gesture.

"You make the best brownies ever,"  
"Thanks!"  
"COME ON BUDDY!"

Hope laughed and finally threw one his way. Unfortunately for Snow, Serah intercepted it.

"Not until after dinner,"

Snow sighed deeply and walked away after a long drawn out "Yes Honey". Hope placed the tray of brownies on the counter and was about to reach for the bottle of wine to set the table with but he felt a hand on his. It pulled him and he was soon face to face with Lightning. He looked slightly shocked that she did that so suddenly but he soon relaxed when her lips brushed against his. He leaned her against the counter as his hands placed themselves on the curve between her waist and ribs. Her hand went to his cheek and the other grabbed a fistful of silver hair. After a few heated seconds, she released him.

"Why that all of a sudden?"

He sounded winded and he knew that he was still red. He got his response when she pointed upwards. He saw a small plant and he chuckled.

"Mistletoe,"

She smiled at him.

"That and I haven't gotten a chance to see you since August,"

It was nearly a year since that fateful day and everything seemed great. Hope was getting through college just fine, Lightning finally found a job that she loved and the Villiers couldn't be happier.

"It's pretty nice that we decided to do something a bit different this time around,"

She nodded in agreement; this christmas was definitely going to be different seeing as they were taking a trip to Oerba to visit Fang and Vanille. Sazh unfortunately can't make it this trip due to a hectic work schedule that required his presence even during these most sacred of days.

"Sazh would've loved to be here,"

Serah walked around the corner as she continued to stack the homecooked meals they were taking to Oerba. She winked at Hope and he softly smiled at her.

"I promise I will,"  
"You will what?"

Lightning looked at him curiously before he smiled at her.

"Nothing important,"  
"Teasing Fang with the brownies like you did Snow?"

Hope chuckled because Fang ironically enjoyed brownies just as much, if not more than Snow.

"Yeah,"

She smiled. He sighed in relief as he began to load the car.

_Six Hours Later_

"Well well well, never thought we'd have a time together like this again,"  
"Glad we did,"

Fang clapped.

"Let's dig in!"

Fang slowly closed her mouth when Snow beat her to her own words. The entire table erupted in laughter, even Fang herself.

"Who made this turkey?"

Lightning raised a hand because her mouth was full.

"Since when could you cook princess?"

Lightning simply shrugged before laughing silently at Fang's exagerrated comments.

"And who made the stuffing?"  
"That would be me,"

Serah smiled.

"I should come live with you! I'd be in heaven,"  
"Get ready for plenty of ramen because we only cook like this for occasions,"

Fang frowned and Snow nodded.

"Yeah, that's why I'm so happy when they do this,"

Hope remained silent as he continued to eat. It wasn't long before the reheated brownies started to radiate through the air. Fang sniffed audibly.

"Ok...who made...those brownies,"

Hope looked scared; the look on her face was almost carnal.

"I did,"

She turned to him.

"You...will give me...NOW!"  
"Nope, it's for everyone to share AFTER dinner,"

Fang growled loudly and just like Snow, began to shed alligator tears.

"It smells so..._**DELICIOUS**_,"  
"Sorry, I didn't want to do it but Serah made me,"

Hope couldn't contain his laughter anymore and soon, the table was in laughter again. He looked at Serah and she winked at him again. He knew what he had to do later on.

_Two Hours Later_

"HOPE! MARRY ME NOW!"

Fang looked like she was in euphoria and she shed tears of joy. Hope continued to stare at her. One bite of his brownies sent her into a chocolate induced frenzy.

"Oh my god Hope...these are _**GODLIKE**_!"

Snow joined Fang in her exagerrated frenzy.

"Hope...I'm not usually a fan of chocolate, but you've changed me,"

Serah smiled at him before she turned to Lightning, who still hadn't taken a bite yet.

"It's good Claire! Try it!"

Hope knew that of all people, Lightning wasn't the type to enjoy anything sweet. She looked at Hope and sighed before taking a bite out of the brownie. Her eyes widened.

"...Unbelievable..."

Hope smiled and soon, the brownie that was in her hand vanished and she walked up to him.

"More...please..."

He smiled and handed her another one but to his surprise, she broke it in half and placed a piece in his hand. She held the one in her hand to his mouth. He caught on quickly. On the count of three, they fed each other. Serah and Snow quietly left the room, pulling Fang and Vanille out of it.

Hope had to admit that he outdid himself but he felt even better when she fed it to him; it was that much sweeter to him. He dared to go further when he pecked her lips, smearing chocolate all over them. She backed off and blinked before poking him in the head.

"That wasn't nice,"  
"Admit it Claire, you liked it,"

She blushed and wiped the chocolate off of her mouth with a napkin before she proceeded to do the same with him. He blushed when she caressed his cheek with her hand.

"It's been a year..."  
"Yeah...and I'm so glad that it worked out,"  
"So am I,"

He dropped something out of his pocket.

"What's that?"  
"Oh..."

_"Shit...didn't see this coming...he must've jarred it too far to the top when he kissed her and when he was laughing at the table,"_

Serah continued to look at him.

_"Come on Hope...you've got to improvise now! You can do it!"_

He crouched to retrieve the item but to Lightning's surprise, he adjusted himself in front of her and looked up.

"Well...this wasn't how I planned it to happen...but I guess there's no turning back now,"

She could hear how nervous he was and he was trembling slightly.

_"Oh my god...he isn't...no...oh my god..."_

"This past year...no, from the day I met you right up to this point in my life, I've always cared for you..."

He tried desperately to clear the anxiety inside of him and also to quell his insane heart rate that threatened to make him faint.

"The day we started dating...was the happiest day of my life because you finally accepted me and now I have one question for you..."

He opened the small box, revealing a silver ring with quite a large diamond on the top. On the band, she could see he had it engraved with a message. She however wasn't able to read it due to the tears welling up in her eyes. She never felt so happy in her entire life since the day she reunited with Serah all those years ago. Her hands came together in front of her mouth and she audibly gasped.

"Claire Farron, will you marry me?"

_"Good job bro..."_

Snow smiled as he looked on behind the corner.

_"Kid finally got the guts to do it, bout damn time! The love was so thick I could've cut it with a knife!"_

Fang looked on through the window from outside with Vanille at her side.

_"He finally did it! I'm so happy for them!"_

She couldn't even speak. A knot developed in her throat that wouldn't loosen. Hope patiently waited for her as he knew that it was probably the biggest shock she had ever experienced in her life. He soon got a response when she lowered her left hand and held it out to him. He took his cue and slipped the ring onto her finger before he stood up and faced her.

"It's...beautiful...you remembered what I said six months ago?"  
"You kidding me? I played a whole game of truth or dare just to hear Serah ask you what you've always wanted,"

She looked up at him and he smiled at her.

"...Yes..."

He didn't seem to hear her and gestured for her to repeat.

"...Yes...of course I will!"

Her voice gathered confidence. He couldn't believe his ears and he nervously swallowed.

"You...you will?"

He got his answer when she kissed him deeply. He anxiously picked her up and swung her around, never once breaking the contact between them. Tears poured from her eyes and she seperated from his lips. He laughed with joy and it wasn't long before she joined him with her own soft giggle.

"Merry Christmas Claire..."

She smiled.

"Same to you...and we'll share every other one hereafter..."

"Alright alright! Let's get this party started!"

Snow ran into the room and congratulated them both. Giving Hope a noogie and hugging his sister. Serah did the same, especially for her sister because she knew just how much of a fight it was within her heart to say yes to Hope; she had every doubt that was conceivable in her mind that she wouldn't be good enough for him. There were times when she truly didn't believe that she even deserved happiness but for once and probably forever more:

Lightning "Claire" Farron was happy. She was at peace.

Hope and the others walked into the kitchen to get cleanup started but her hand unconsciously ran across the ring. She took it off and began to read the engraved words.

**_Without Light, There Is No Hope_**

She smiled and a single tear went down her face. She knew exactly what she had to do for him when the fateful day for their union came.


	6. The Same Day Years Later

Chapter 6- The Same Day Years Later

"I'm so happy for you guys!"

Serah looked at her sister as a red blush enveloped her face. She hid her eyes beneath a veil of her pink hair.

"Come on Claire! Look at yourself!"

She reluctantly looked into the mirror in front of her. She wore a white dress that stretched down beyond her feet though it didn't obscure them. Serah had the dress custom made by one of her friends in Bodhum who specialized in making dresses of all kinds. It took her three months to get the dress done and a third of that time was spent imagining Lightning in the dress from the drawing phase. She remembered all of the times she was asked to pose in different positions to give her a vision as to just how beautiful she would look in it and at long last, she saw herself in it. She had to admit that despite her usual distaste in clothing and appearance, that dress looked _**damn good**_. The white of the dress in the sunlight gave her an almost divine glimmer.

"Regina made this?"  
"Yes...and she didn't charge a cent for it apart from me having to buy the materials for her,"  
"I guess it's a thank you for guarding her shop while she still ran it?"

Serah nodded and Lightning smiled.

The dress felt smoother than silk against her skin. It wasn't overly large, in fact it was rather form fitting and that was the only real flaw that she saw with the dress; she didn't want Hope staring at her body instead of her eyes when it was time for the big words.

"You look beautiful Claire..."  
"Thanks..."  
"Hope's a lucky man,"  
"You're just saying that..."  
"Claire, I've waited years for you to find happiness and I never thought that I'd live to see the day you get married...to a man,"

Lightning blushed again as Serah put the headpiece on her head after she finished combing her hair out. She proceeded to add the finishing touches to her sister's appearance and she smiled.

"Hope's going to be stunned...I'm so proud of you Claire,"  
"That's my line,"

Serah cast an unamused look on her face and Lightning sighed.

"Fine...you win this time,"

That unamused look instantly turned back into the previous smile.

"Nervous?"  
"Am I ever..."

Lightning sat down on the chair beside her.

"It's not that bad Claire, I went through it with Snow,"

Her face showed the grimace in her heart.

"Ok...bad example to compare,"  
"No...I'm just overthinking things as usual is all,"  
"Claire you're going to be fine...he loves you more than anything else in his life,"

She sighed and took deep silent breaths in an effort to calm herself down.

"In fact, I think he loves you more than life itself,"  
"Ok...that's an exaggeration,"

Serah laughed.

"Come on...you've got to calm down, your wedding is in an hour  
"Thank the Maker that it's not a large one,"

Serah rolled her eyes.

"You're going to be fine Claire,"  
"I hope you're right..."

Meanwhile

"Nervous there buddy?"  
"Yeah...a little bit,"

Snow gave him a brotherly pat on the back.

"I was pretty nervous when I married Serah but it's really not so bad,"  
"Let's hope you're right,"

Snow smiled.

"It's a good thing you did...making her so happy,"  
"I've always wanted to do that,"  
"And you've done it; I don't think she'll ever have a bad day again,"

Hope smiled and looked at himself after fixing his tuxedo.

"Lookin' sharp there kiddo,"  
"It was a lot of trouble to get this measured and stuff so let's hope it fits the bill,"  
"Pretty sure it does, Light's gonna flip when she sees you like this,"  
"Wonder what she's wearing,"

Snow put a hand to his chin.

"Probably something stunning, wouldn't surprise me if Serah helped her in some way,"  
"Well, I'm not complaining about it,"  
"Yeah you better not or sis will kill you where you stand,"

Hope laughed nervously.

"She could wear a hobo's outfit and make it look stunning,"

Snow chuckled loudly at his attempt at humor.

"Alright buddy, she's a pretty awesome sister but I don't think she's a miracle worker,"

Hope smiled but after a short period, he sat down in the couch. Snow could hear when Hope swallowed hard.

"You got an hour till the wedding starts buddy, relax will ya?"

Hope took a deep breath and let it out.

"I just don't want to screw this up...I want this to be one of the days in her life and also in mine that we'll remember for the rest of our lives,"  
"There's no way sis would ever forget this day, she's not one to forget details of anything,"

Hope nodded, a little courage instilled with the conversation.

_"Well...it's finally here...here goes nothing..."_

Later...

_**"HOLY MAKER HAVE MERCY!"**_

Hope nearly dropped dead where he stood when he saw Lightning walk down the "isle" which was really a short path on the grass in the quiet backyard of Fang's home. They managed to adapt the place quite well to suit the small function. No one but the members of NORA and the former l'cie attended this and for once, Hope completely agreed with being discreet.

_"She's...__FREAKIN' GORGEOUS_"

Hope knew that Snow was probably chuckling in his mind as he continued to walk her down the isle alongside Serah. He was pretty sure that all the men except Snow were probably gawking at Lightning as well. She looked at him and she felt the blood rush to her cheeks. She was thankful that the sun was shining brightly with her dress which hid the flush from everyone's eyes.

_"I never thought a tuxedo would look so handsome on him...it's almost like it was made for him..."_

A Short While Later

"Do you? Hope Estheim take Claire Farron to be your lawfully wedded wife?"

He smiled at Sazh who took it upon himself to be the "priest" for this small gathering. It was what they wanted; it wasn't very welcome for a 100% truly official wedding to be held when you were former l'Cie, not to mention criminals for attacking the army and such. They would be living in secrecy and they'd rather not give the military a way to track them down. Hope smiled to himself; he was glad that Sazh was such a good friend to them all and when he was asked to do the honors, he was more than happy to do it.

"I do,"

He turned to Lightning.

"And do you? Claire Farron take Hope Estheim to be your lawfully wedded husband?"

She turned to Hope and smiled a genuine smile.

"I do,"

Sazh smiled and it was clear in his slight laugh that he wanted to drop the formalities. He then beckoned Serah to bring the rings. To Hope's surprise, a ring that was nearly identical to the one that he bought rested beside hers. The only differences between them were that the markings were slightly different and that it was gold instead of silver. He wanted nothing more than to thank Lightning for getting him the ring but it wasn't the time to break out in thanks. He slipped the ring onto her finger for the second time and she did the same for him. After slipping on the ring, Hope had to admit that the smile she had on her face was hands down the most genuine one Hope had ever seen grace her face. He saw that she had absolutely no regrets in doing what she just did with the exception of not doing it sooner. They turned back to face Sazh.

"Alright, by the power invested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife,"

They turned to each other and Hope held in a sneeze. The sound he made caused Lightning to giggle and very soon, a few people in the front row started to laugh softly. Hope turned into a tomato when he recovered from his sudden gesture. Soon enough, the entire crowd started to laugh. Sazh himself laughed softly. After a short period of laughter, it became silent once again.

"Alright! Enough with the formality stuff, kiss the bride kid!"

That was good enough for Hope and he kissed her swiftly. A wedding with an interesting turn of events was definitely better than the long boring ones. The audience clapped loudly as they turned to them.

"Could've went better...I hate my nose right now,"  
"It was cute,"

He turned to Lightning with an unamused look on his face and she smiled at him before nudging him with her shoulder. He sighed as he walked down the path with her locked to his arm. She chose to lean her head against his shoulder instead of walking upright, not that he minded.

"Congratulations buddy!"

Snow gave him a noogie after Lightning released his arm to hug Serah.

"Are you ever going to stop that?"  
"Uhh...'fraid not,"

Hope sighed before Serah hugged him.

"I'm so happy for you guys!"  
"Hey we can talk about this stuff later but right now, it's PARTY TIME!"

Snow led them inside to get changed for the after party but before he entered, Hope turned to Sazh.

"Thanks again,"  
"My pleasure kid,"

He was glad that Sazh agreed to this considering the fact that they were still wanted fugitives in some places and making a public amendment wasn't exactly the way to keep a low profile. It would be even worse for the government to have records of them so having something as private as this was perfect for them. Hope couldn't think of any other person to do the honor of officially "tying their knot" and quite frankly, he was glad to; it would be a cold day in hell before he let Snow do it.

"Come on, let's have some fun!"

Sazh shoved Hope through the door as the after party began.


	7. Every Christmas Hereafter

Chapter 7- Every Christmas Hereafter

**Author's Note: Hello readers! I have to say I had a lot of fun writing this particular story due to the theme I tried to keep. It gave me a lot of practice and I'm glad that you all enjoyed it. This'll be the last chapter in this one. Don't worry though, keep an eye out for more from me because I'll be doing some stuff. Once again, thanks for all the support and enjoy the final chapter! Since it's the final one, I'll make it longer than I made the rest just for you guys! Oh and warning from here at the top of the screen, lemon alert :)**

A door opened behind her and she looked to see him walking towards her. The party was still going on downstairs but she left to go upstairs because she wanted to be alone for a little while.

"Everything ok?"  
"Yeah...still not used to the whole crowd thing,"  
"It's not that many people and it's everyone that we know beyond just another face,"

She smiled.

"I guess I'm still a bit of a loner then,"  
"You're never alone,"

He moved behind her and embraced her around her stomach before kissing her neck. She had decided to take a break from the intense party going on downstairs after a few hours of laughing and drinking. She wasn't really the liveliest person at parties but she did dance and surprisingly, she danced well. Hope had to admit that if he didn't know her so well, he would never have guessed that she could dance so well.

"Best night ever huh?"  
"Yeah...I have to admit this night is a lot of epic packed into one day,"  
"I take it you opened your presents?"

He released her waist and returned to her in a few seconds.

"Got them right here,"

She smiled and sat down on the bench beside them.

"At the same time?"

It was he who said it this time unlike that day all those years ago. She tore the paper and saw a small box perched on top of a larger one. He urged her to open it before he started on his. Removing the top of the larger box, she was astonished at what she saw.

"When did you..."  
"Saved for a while and I made this,"

He reached into the box and pulled out yet another small box hidden beneath the clothes. He opened the box to reveal a necklace. Unlike the pendant around her neck that was one of lightning, the necklace she took into her hands had a pendant of an eagle. The band was delicate and made out of what she felt to be plastic. The band was silver but the pendant was a shinier silver.

"I made it during one of my clubs back at UOP,"  
"You…made this?"  
"The band is pure Scarletite but I melted it down and made it as thin as I could, I added some magnesium to make it flexible which is why you can sort of stretch it…but it will never break,"

He fastened the necklace around her neck.

"Well, unless you want to spend the next ten years chopping it with your gunblade,"  
"You made the pendant too?"  
"Yeah, it's pure Orichalcum crystal and I just painted with chrome that will never wash off,"  
"How the hell did you get Orichalcum?"

She knew how rare the crystal was; it was so hard to find that it seemed as if it was from another universe. He smiled.

"I went to Gran Pulse and found some in Taejin Tower,"  
"You went all the way to Taejin just to get a crystal?"  
"And fought all those animals to get to it too,"  
"You're insane,"  
"No I'm not because I know you're worth the effort and the risk,"

She was taken aback with his compliment and her face flushed. He smiled at her and before she took out the dress. She blushed.

"Isn't this...the new dress that came out with that clothing line Lebreau works for?"  
"Yep, I asked her to get me one and she did,"  
"This dress isn't even out in stores yet…"  
"Oh…it isn't? Jeez…now I feel like I shouldn't have gotten it,"  
"Don't worry, I can wear it five days from now,"  
"Next year huh?"

She nodded and put the presents back into the box before she embraced him.

"Now I know how you felt back then…that Christmas years ago when we first…"  
"I'm glad I could make it better for you,"

She silenced him with a kiss.

"Ok…your turn,"

He reluctantly released her to reach for the present; that kiss sparked a fire inside of him and he _**DEFINITELY**_ wanted to give her so much more. He opened the box to find a smaller box and a yellow boomer jacket which was almost the exactly same.

"So I guess yellow really is my color huh?"  
"Just shut up and try it on; I want to see if it fits you because I didn't expect you to get larger over the holidays,"

He put the jacket on and she sighed in relief.

"Perfect fit,"  
"Nice guess Claire,"

She smiled before she urged him to open the box. The box contained, to his surprise, the very same knife he gave back to her during their l'Cie days. The difference was that she got the hilt changed and engraved with his name on it and the blade looked almost brand new. He knew it was the same knife because he remembered exactly how it felt in his hands.

"This is the same knife you gave me back then?"  
"Yes…I just decided to add a little touch to it because it's yours now,"

He smiled and hugged her.

"Thanks…"  
"Not done yet,"

She held up the box and pointed to the small cushion on the inside. He lifted it and to his surprise, he saw a piece of paper that had instructions.

"_Take three steps back and take off your ring and look on the inside,"_

He looked up at her for a brief moment before doing as she requested. To his surprise, he found words engraved on the inside.

_**Without Hope There Is No Light**_

He held back the tears of joy welling within his eyes to look back at the paper.

"_I'm still not the best with words but I'm sure that you know what I want to say…I love you so much Hope…you've shown me that the world isn't just a place of war and unforgiving consequences and I hope I can show you that I'm past my old beliefs. I hope I can make you happy for the rest of your days…or should I say __**our**__ days. Look up to receive your last one,"_

He looked up and she kissed him again, repeating the exact gesture that she did all those years ago. Tears began to pour down his eyes and when she felt them, she stopped kissing him.

"What's wrong?"  
"You've…just made me so happy Claire…I can't thank you enough for…giving me a chance,"

She smiled again at him.

"I haven't been so happy in my entire life…and it's all because of you…you're the woman I love and the woman that I will have no regrets spending the rest of my days with,"  
"Hope…"  
"I never imagined that you'd say yes…and here we are, years later on the very same day that we started this journey,"  
"You're calling this a journey?"  
"Hey I read it somewhere,"

She laughed at him.

"Hope…I have to admit that out of all the other decisions I've made in my life thus far, this one was the best..."  
"You're just saying that..."  
"No I'm not...I'm dead serious and I want you to know that I'm always going to be here at your side..."

His face showed a little shock by her strong words but he reverted back to his smile after a moment.

"You should know by now how much I love you…don't you?  
"I'd be an idiot not to,"

She smiled once more.

"The troubles from our past can finally be left behind us,"  
"And we can start anew,"

They chuckled that they said the last line at the same time.

"You read the book too huh?"  
"Yes I did,"

He smiled and embraced her.

"We can finally be at peace…"  
"Together forever?"

Lightning frowned.

"Now I know how Serah felt when she busted out crying after her wedding,"  
"Fuzzy on the inside to the point where it pushes tears out of your eyes?"  
"Oh shut up,"

She pouted and he laughed again when he saw her blush and the tears of joy.

"Hey guys!"

Snow called out to them.

"What're you doing up here! You're missing the party!"

Before anyone could react, a shoe collided with Snow's face and Lightning wiped her face clean of the tears. Hope was dying of laughter on the inside because he knew that it would be a cold day in hell before she let Snow see her in such a vulnerable state.

"Well, shall we get back to it?"  
"Yeah…we've been up here long enough,"  
"You gonna wear that dress I bought you?"  
"Maybe…"  
"Do I get to see you change into it?"

She smacked Hope on his shoulder.

"What? You're my wife now so what's the problem?"  
"You know how much I dislike perversion,"  
"I'm not being a pervert…"  
"Then what're you doing by saying that,"  
"Admiring how beautiful and smokin' hot my wife is,"

She laughed and pulled him towards the bedroom. The way he said "smoking" amused her greatly.

"When you put it that way…"  
"Sheesh I was only kidding; you don't have to do that you know,"  
"That's not what I meant…"

Hope's cheeks brightened and she laughed.

"You fall for it every time,"  
"You're such a tease!"  
"Who said I was teasing you?"  
"Well…grr…"

She shut the door after he walked into the room but not before looking both ways to ensure no one was coming. She then locked it and turned to her now tomato faced husband who for some reason, had a gentle smile on his face despite knowing what they were about to do.

"You'll…be gentle like you were before right?"  
"Of course I will…I can't hurt you even if I tried Claire,"

She pulled him by his tie towards the bed and kissed him. He slowly crawled over her, using his arms to suspend himself.

"Are you sure you want to..."  
"What do you mean?"  
"There **_is_** a party going on downstairs..."  
"That's why I locked the door,"  
"Yeah but...what if someone comes up and hears us?"  
"That's for them to figure out; we're married now and quite frankly, they should expect nothing less,"

Hope laughed.

"I guess you're right..."

She smiled as they began their deed. Clothes soon piled on the floor and they made mental notes to themselves never to wear so much clothing again; it took far too long for them to get out of them. She was reduced to a white velvet lace two piece while he as usual wore boxers.

"You really have a thing for yellow don't you?"  
"You pointed that out with my gift,"

She laughed before she leaned in again, this time with much more lust present in the kiss. He was curious as to when she developed such a desire to do these things but he wasn't complaining at all; that particular set of hers **_really_** heated things up. Compared to the first time they did this, he was quite sure that she couldn't get any better looking but she somehow pulled it off and with breathtaking results. Her still athletic figure was more curvy with the amount of time she spend doing yoga and swimming in her large pool. Her face was as clear as ever and her eyes were just as beautiful as they were the first day he saw them. A year really went by quickly and things changed so much.

She was quite sure that her now husband wouldn't get any manlier and he continued to prove her wrong. He grew more muscular and instead of a head taller, it was more like a head and a quarter. She had no idea how he grew so much but she wasn't questioning it; it's certainly better than if she was taller than he was. His ab muscles were now plain to see and though they weren't that of a bodybuilder, the parkour and regular trips to the gym **_definitely_** did him justice. His hair was now cut and looked more spiky than straight compared to his youth. His face however, was the same as she could remember with the exception of slightly higher cheekbones and a small amount of the volume burned away with his growth. All in all, he grew to be an exceptionally handsome young man.

"Do you want me to..."  
"You don't have to, we luckily picked a time when I'm not ovulating,"  
"How the heck do you know when you are?"  
"I keep tabs obviously,"

_"Woman's a genius...always has a plan for everything,"_

He nodded and lifted her into his arms as she threw her legs around his waist as their lips collided once again. Unlike before, this time was more of lust than of passion. Hope hated to admit it but he found the current want for her body slightly greater than the want for her love. For once, his intentions weren't completely innocent. Her lips grew more intense with their movements and her hands began to explore every contour of his exposed flesh. His hands began to do the same, paying special attention to her lower back and stomach; he couldn't get enough of the feel of her skin against his fingertips. He knew exactly how to please her as he changed his touch from rubbing to glides. He got the response he wanted when he felt her breathe a moan down his throat. He stopped kissing her and moved down to her collarbone, applying enough pressure to make her feel it but not enough to leave a hickey; he knew that if Snow ever caught sight of that, he'd never let her live it down...or even Serah.

Her moaning began to get more intense and she leaned back a little to give him more access and he eagerly took advantage of it as his lips ran down to her chest and ghosted over the white fabric shielding her breasts. He kissed the valley between them and she breathed out another heavy moan. Though it felt amazing, this was **_torture_** to the lusty side of her that was slowly making herself known. His mouth explored as much of her chest as it possibly could, building the want within so much that she tightened her grip on him to let him know to move on. He smiled and unhooked her bra before dropping it in the pile of clothes behind him. He sprang onto them as he immediately took one into his mouth. His hand began kneading the other firmly enough to let her know just how much he loved them but gently enough to let her know that he wouldn't dare cause her even a tinge of pain no matter how taken over by lust he was. Her moans started to turn in soft screams. He was thankful that the music downstairs was so loud and even more thankful that Fang lived in a three story house. He was also thankful that she had a guest room; he would feel terrible if he did this in her bedroom or worse...Vanille's.

She shoved him down and began to repeat the same exploration of his chest as he did hers with an almost carnal look on her face. He didn't moan but she felt the low pitched growl coming from his throat which let her know that he was enjoying it. She even dared to place a hand on his manhood, causing him to shake for a split second in surprise but he didn't protest. In fact, he smiled devilishly at the gesture.

"Someone's getting anxious,"  
"Yeah...you're totally one to talk,"

He laughed and turned the tables on her again as he shot up and pressed her against the perched pillows behind her. He pulled off her panties but at an agonizingly slow rate just to tease her more. He was lucky she loved him so much or he was definitely going to get a fist to the face if he didn't hurry up. He removed his boxers and pulled her close to him. She didn't give him time to do anything else before she practically slammed herself on top of him, sheathing him inside of her. The sudden gesture caused him to release an uncharacteristic moan and she again smiled devilishly at him.

"You're not wasting any time,"  
"Oh shut up,"

She slammed again and he did as she wished as she slowly developed a pace. Lips locked, tongues battled and hands found refuge on neck and waist as she pounded away against him. She moaned deeply and he had to do everything in his power to prevent himself from screaming out in pleasure. He instead let out loud breaths and grunts. His hands gripped her waist tighter and her fingers dug into his back until she stopped to breathe. He took his chance and lifted her into his arms and walked over to a wall before slamming her against it. He didn't do it hard enough let her feel any pain and she felt him began to thrust into her at fast pace.

_"Where does he get this stamina?"_

His speed was tremendous and she began to feel dizzy from the sheer pleasure he sent through her like electricity through a circuit. She knew just how much he was trying to hold back before when he let her have her way. He stopped and she pushed her back against the wall to tip his balance as he fell back onto the bed. He had no idea how she managed to muster such strength in such a bad position but this was Lightning Farron after all; he learnt to expect the unexpected after the first week of dating her. She again began to slam herself against him and this time, he could barely move his arms as she pinned them to the bed. The waves of pleasure she sent through him knocked his senses into a hazy version of what they usually were and he was sure that after this, he would need a nap to recover. After a few minutes, she finally stopped as she raised her head towards the heavens and let out a scream. He however, wasn't done with her. He pushed her onto her side as he got behind her and raised her leg with one of his arms and began to thrust again. At this point, she had to rely solely on the incredible amount of adrenaline and sheer willpower to keep from becoming motionless as he continued the act.

_"Again...where the **HELL** does he get this stamina?"_

He captured her lips with his again and his free hand held one of hers and gripped it tightly. He periodically let go of her leg to grab her breast before returning to suspend it again; he tried to let her feel as much pleasure in as many areas as he possibly could. Finally, he felt himself losing steam and it wasn't long before he felt himself give off a shot inside her. The adrenaline that was cursing through his bloodstream seemed to have vanished and he collapsed beside her. She turned to face him and held him close to her as she repeatedly told him how much she loved him. He soon lifted himself off the bed and began to put back on his clothes.

"We should really get back down there,"  
"We've only been up here 45 minutes,"  
"Yeah I know but the party _**is**_ for us after all,"  
"Yeah...I guess you're right,"  
"Thanks,"

She raised an eyebrow.

"For what?"  
"Giving me the best night of my life,"

She laughed.

"Well...you'll have plenty more nights to have,"  
"Yeah but I think we should have something special...every Christmas from now on,"  
"What do you mean?"  
"I don't know...maybe dinner, a party like this or something because this day is just so special to me..."

She fully clothed herself and she walked up to him.

"Ok...we'll think of something to do,"  
"For every Christmas hereafter?"  
"Yeah...we'll figure something out,"  
"I just realized, we have triple the special on this one day,"  
"What do you mean?"  
"Our wedding anniversary, our actual anniversary since the first day we started dating and Christmas all wrapped up in a neat little package,"  
"That means it's triple the presents..."

Hope chuckled.

"You don't have to do that...having you is all the present I need,"  
"Do you mean that in the good way or the naughty way?"  
"Both,"

He stuck his tongue out at her and she smacked him in the shoulder.

"Let's go,"  
"One more thing Hope..."  
"Hmm? What's wrong?"

She took a breath.

"What are we going to tell Fang when she finds out that we had sex in her house?"  
"How will she know?"

She pointed at the wall he pinned her against and also at the slightly torn sheet.

"Oh...well, I'll think of something,"

She smiled.

"Let's go Romeo,"

They left to rejoin the party with the knowledge that for every Christmas hereafter, it would be that much more special to them after this night.

**END**


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